Batting

NORTH ANDOVER, MA- The Merrimack softball team suffered a pair of losses at home to Adelphi Friday afternoon, falling 6-2 and 5-2. The Warriors sink to 9-16 on the season and 3-10 in the Northeast-10 Conference. The Panthers improve to 20-11-1 overall and 11-5 in league action.

In game one, the Warriors claimed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first frame as Giovannini laced a single up the middle to drive in Palmieri from third.

Adelphi answered with its first run of the day to tie the score at 1-1 in the top of the second. Victoria Wink hit a lead-off homer to level the contest.

Merrimack restored its lead to one run with a tally in the bottom of the third inning. Ashley Perry (Winchendon, MA) hammered a solo homer to center to give the hosts a 2-1 edge.

The Panthers captured their first lead of the day in the top of the sixth. Meghan Heiser led off with a home run to tie the game at 2-2. Wink gave the visitors the lead as she scored on a wild pitch to lift the away side to a 3-2 advantage.

Adelphi added three runs in the seventh to double its total to six and take a 6-2 lead. Wink singled down the left field line to drive in her second RBI of the contest. Katie Andrews followed with a two-run home run to cap off the scoring.

Kelli Jo Deardorff (Bedford, MA) tossed 5.1 innings in the pitcher's circle and struck out four batters. Valerie Bauer (Salem, NH) pitched the final 1.2 innings in relief and allowed just two hits.

The Panthers seized an early 3-0 lead in the nightcap with three runs in the top of the first. Andrews got the visitors on the board with a sacrifice fly to score Emily Dorko. Binstock reached on a fielder's choice which allowed Kayla Rieger to score from third with one out. Elizabeth Linder drove in Adelphi's third run of the frame with a groundout.

Hubbard launched a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the second inning and cut the deficit to two, 3-1. The homer was her first of the season and second career blast.

Binstock landed a single to left center to drive in Andrews from third and restore the Panthers' lead to three, 4-1, in the top of the third frame.

Merrimack responded with a score in the home half of the fourth to slice the visitors' advantage to two, 4-2. Monique Gosselin (Lawrence, MA) blasted her fifth home run of the year, a solo shot to lead off the inning. The hit marks Gosselin's 34th career homer as she now sits 11 behind the all-time program leader with 45.

Adelphi extended its lead to three in the top of the fifth as Linder's sacrifice fly to center allowed Wink to tag up and score from third base.

Alie Thomas (Bedford, NH) pitched the opening four frames and Deardorff hurled the final three in a relief effort.

The Warriors will host Pace in a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader April 7.